I did some exercises with IBM DataStage. I’m not exactly the biggest fan of IBM, but I have to admit DataStage convinced me. Even the installation tutorials and user guides were perfect (someone might use that against me someday).
But what is DataStage?
Above all, it is a consolidation tool that is part of InfoSphere Information Server. With it, you can do ETL (Extract-Transform-Load), ELT, and TEL.
It’s a fantastic tool that allows you to create jobs that extract data from virtually any database, manipulate it through business rules, and persist it to any database as well. Kudos to IBM for not limiting themselves to their boring DB2 and (dis)Informix.
The goal of this lab was actually to “play” with the QualityStage Designer module, which aligns with one of my specialization areas: MDM/DQ. But the tool is so impressive that it practically forced me to extend the same exercises.
I’m more used to Oracle Enterprise DQ and recently using Spectrum DQ (Pitney Bowes), and I had no trouble using either DataStage or QualityStage. IBM really hit the mark with this little toy.
As a DQ tool: Approved! There are enough components to meet most DQ needs. For geo (address handling), it’s outclassed by Pitney Bowes’ Spectrum. But in other areas, it’s excellent. Of course, doing a weekend tutorial is not the ideal scenario. Submitting it to a POC would make much more sense. Still, I wouldn’t feel the least bit uncomfortable using it in production. Like it or not, IBM carries a pedigree of prestige and renown.
The combination of IBM InfoSphere DataStage + QualityStage is brilliant, and when you add InfoSphere Federation Server to the mix, the tool shows what it’s really capable of.
With InfoSphere Federation Server, which is a big “federator”, you can relate tables on different servers, whether different machines or different vendors.
– Ease of installation and getting started
– Integration with multiple databases and federation
– Connects to any data source: RDBMS, text files, XML, mainframe (even at NASA)
– Creation of “jobs” (data flows) with emphasis on programming and SQL
– Implementation of SQL commands
– Data Quality module (powerful, abundance of components, market standard, learning curve)
– I believe everyone in IT should speak English, but documentation in Portuguese is essential
– The address handling in QualityStage is somewhat poor compared to competitors, but sufficient
For those who cannot download, install, and test it, I recommend supplementing your reading with the Portuguese text from IBM itself, available at: https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/br/data/library/techarticle/dm-0703harris/index.html.
If you are looking for an excellent Data Quality tool, you’ve just found one. Although an Oracle partner, my philosophy in this blog is not to favor any side. My goal here is to test and write my impressions, whether good or bad, about any tool.
Visit our Blog
Learn more about databases
Learn about monitoring with advanced tools
Have questions about our services? Visit our FAQ
Want to see how we’ve helped other companies? Check out what our clients say in these testimonials!
Discover the History of HTI Tecnologia
